She's Gone Where the Goblins Go
by Chaotic-Masterpiece
Summary: Crossover with the Wizard of Oz. To save Toby, Sarah strikes a deal with the Wicked Witch of the West, protecting both of them from Jareth. That is...until Dorothy dropped a house on top of her and took her ruby slippers. Now she is back in the Underground where nothing is what it seems. J/S
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I gain no profit from this work of fiction. I do not own Labyrinth or the Wizard of Oz.

* * *

**"****She's gone where the goblins go, **

**below, below, below, yo ho, **

**let's all get up and sing, **

**and ring the bells now ding dong the merrio, **

**sing it high sing it low, **

**let them know the wicked witch is dead."**

**-The Wizard of Oz**

He heard bells ringing in the distance, joyful, the sound of change. Magic pulsed faintly through the air with every chime. He sat up straight from his lounging position across his throne and stretched his senses out across his kingdom. The goblins at his feet stopped their squabbling and looked up at him, eyes wide. The small block of wood they had been arguing over lay innocently in their hands as they waited for what they were sure was punishment.

"Skwark dids it!" the one on the left exclaimed, shoving the block towards his companion like it had burned him.

"Not me! Not me, Kingy!" the second one insisted.

The king paid them no attention, raising his hand for silence. Twin pairs of owlish eyes watched as he snapped his riding crop against his leather boot, a resounding _snap_ echoing through the room. A predatory smile crept over his face that left the goblins trembling, though whether in fear or anticipation, they weren't sure. "It worked. She's here," he purred, closing his eyes in triumph. "After all these years," he murmured, "finally out of hiding. My Sarah, back in the Underground. I knew she was alive." With a practiced flick of his wrist, a crystal appeared in his hand. He peered into it for a moment before tossing it into the air where it vanished as well as its maker.

* * *

Sarah Williams was in big trouble. Things were just fine until that little brat Dorothy had dropped a freaking house on top of her. She looked down at her feet and felt her heart begin to race with panic. Her ruby slippers were _gone_. How was she supposed to stay safe without the enchantment? She needed to find them before he discovered her...wherever she was. She looked around frantically. Rocky ledges surrounded her on a strange mountainous peak. Red dust stained her black and white stockings. Wind swept up and knocked over her black pointed hat that matched her 'witch' attire, a poor disguise-if he did find her it would not fool him for an instant-but it made her feel safer, now that her main source of protection was she could find some shadows to hide in, if only she could find a safe way down. Sarah was no fool, she knew that no matter where she was at, the top of a mountain made her vulnerable. She took in her surroundings, looking for clues. Distantly she heard bells ringing, and high pitched voices singing.

_She's gone where the goblins go below! Below below, yo ho!_

Her heart plummeted. Of course she would go to the Underground, the one place she had been trying to avoid like the plague for six years, and of course those God-forsaken _munchkins_ would be thrilled enough to sing about it. All she had ever done was demand that they leave her alone and they called her a tyrannical witch! Some days she would have preferred the company of the goblins to the nosy, vindictive little people that inhabited her hideout. Slowly, Sarah began to walk around the area, looking for a safe way down to the forest that she spotted at the base of the mountain.

She never heard the soft _pop_ that announced the Goblin King's arrival to her quaint little hiding spot. She didn't see him conjure a crystal and set it rolling straight for her unprotected feet. This is why, when Sarah Williams found herself immobile and swaying dangerously over the side of the mountain and its jagged rocks, the first words out of her mouth were, "Oh, _shit_."

"Such language," he tsked, "and from such a pretty mouth. I'm surprised at you, Sarah; you've certainly changed." She felt her muscles tense at the lilting sound of his voice, so familiar and yet so unsettling. He moved to stand in front of her, one gloved hand reaching out to steady her so she would not fall over. He looked different than she remembered him, more menacing, colder somehow: untouchable. He leaned closer to her, so close that she could feel the heat of his skin, proving her observation very false indeed. He studied her face carefully, a determined glint in his storm blue eyes. "Which reminds me, precious," he said lightly, "just _where have you been?"_

Sarah was glad that she was immobile because the look on his face at that moment would have sent her running, and you never turned your back on the Goblin King. Instead she gathered her courage and tried to stand up straighter. "I don't know what you're talking about," she sniffed.

He was not amused. "Oh, but I think you most certainly do. Enlighten me, little girl, how does someone like you evade my magic for six years after vanishing without a trace? I know you must have had some help, but who? And why would they help you when it meant crossing _me?"_ he had begun to pace back and forth, rolling a crystal across his knuckles.

"Maybe I wouldn't have had to go into hiding if you had just left me alone," she muttered, sure that he wouldn't hear. He did, though, and rounded on her once more.

"Left you alone?" his voice was like crushed velvet. "Oh, my dear girl, I don't think you understand, that was _never_ an option." He held the crystal firmly in his hand. "I think it's high time you returned to where you belong." With a nasty grin, he raised the crystal high into the air before hurling it downward where it shattered upon impact and exploded with magic.

* * *

**_Six Years Earlier_**

Seventeen-year-old Sarah Williams valiantly struggled to keep her tired eyes open as she sat at the kitchen table in her family's Victorian home. The last thing she needed was for Karen to see her nose dive into her Cheerios and insist she stay home and rest.

Sleep. It had been so long since she'd had a good night's sleep, and every time she finally did succumb to her body's demands it became harder and harder to pull herself out of it. You see, ever since she had won back her brother eight months ago, besting the Labyrinth and defeating the enigmatic Goblin King, her life had never been the same. The first night, after celebrating with her new friends until midnight, Sarah had been sure that her adventure was over, that she would move on a changed girl and that would be the end of it. For the first month or so, it had been peaceful, utterly normal and blissfully boring. Then she began to see goblins skittering about her daily activities, riding on her math teacher's shoulder and making faces at her, candy out of the kitchen drawer and leaving wrappers in her socks, and of course, making themselves at home underneath her bed and in her closet.

It had unnerved her at first, but she quickly grew accustomed to her unwanted little house guests, and had even begun to develop a soft spot for the little buggers. That was when the crystal had showed up. It had not come with a note, so she didn't know what to expect, or how horrible the consequences would be. She had been naive and had touched it, trying to pick it up. As soon as her fingertips had made contact it popped like a bubble and she felt a cold weight settle around her neck. Her hand flew to her throat, where, sure enough, a fine chain now hung a stylized pendant. She rushed over to the mirror and gaped at the sight of it. It was beautifully crafted, but something about it made Sarah very wary. She reached back and tried to find the clasp only to find that it did not exist. Undeterred, she tried to lift the chain over her head, only for her to find that the links shortened as she lifted it, effectively preventing her from removing it.

"That looks lovely on you, as I knew it would," a voice said from the mirror. Sarah gasped and looked at her reflection in the mirror. She saw the image of the Goblin King behind her left shoulder. She snapped her head to look at him, only to find that he was not in the room with her, merely with her reflection. Her relief was short lived, however as his reflection began to stroke her neck along the line of her necklace and she felt the touch as surely as if it had been real, drawing goosebumps to the surface of her flesh.

"Stop it, Goblin King. Leave me alone." She tried to sound firm, but it was hard to concentrate when the necklace seemed to be jolting her with small bursts of electricity every time she tried to move away.

"Oh no, precious, not now. Why, the fun is just beginning," he answered, his pointed smile looking anything but friendly. "You see, my dear," he explained, "you freely accepted my little gift and as such willingly submitted to its power." He gripped her shoulders and squeezed them. "More specifically, _my_ power."

Realization dawned on her as her eyes widened in horror, "No, you have _no_ po-" her voice choked on her words.

The smile upon the Goblin King's face chilled her to the core. "You can't use that little trick if it's not true, sweet. And thanks to this lovely little thing," he fingered the necklace with one of his gloved hands, "I have very _much_ power over you." he leaned to ghost his lips over her cheek. "Until tonight then, my love," he mocked as his image faced from the mirror and all she was left with was the sound of his laughter.

That night she put off going to her room for as long as possible, reading Toby three bedtime stories, ignoring the fact that the little tyke was sound asleep after the first one. She ambled down to the kitchen and did the dishes and was halfway done sweeping the floor when Karen insisted that as much as the help was appreciated, it was still a school night. Her legs felt like lead as she unwillingly dragged herself up the stairs and towards her bedroom. Dimly, she wished that Merlin was allowed to sleep in her room, even though he was no match for the King of the Goblins, at least she wouldn't have to face him alone.

She came to her door, a simple white wooden thing with a metal doorknob. It looked innocent enough to those who did not know what lurked behind it. "Do your worst," she muttered darkly, squaring her shoulders and tensing for a a deep breath and swung the door open fully.

Nothing happened.

Sarah blinked. Where was the theatrics? The thunder and lightning? The scores of Goblins tearing her to pieces? The Goblin King at least _being_ there? There was not so much as a single bottle of nail polish out of place. Slowly, a smirk of triumph curled its way onto her lips. "Perhaps he doesn't have any power over me after all," she mused, getting ready for bed with a decidedly more chipper attitude.

But of course, that would have been too easy. Sarah realized her mistake as soon as she fell asleep. There he stood, terrifying in his black armor as he looked down at her menacingly. She had not remembered until that moment that not only was this being in front of her the King of the Goblins, he was also the King of Dreams. But of course, the realization came far, far too late to save herself.

"Welcome, Sarah," he purred.

* * *

And so the months had dragged on, each night she fought harder and harder to keep herself awake and every night the Goblin King tightened his hold on her while she dreamed. It was all beginning to take its toll on her, to tell the truth. Her grades were slipping, she was always irritable and she had managed to push away any semblance of friends she might have had. Last night she had been feeling particularly cranky with him.

"Why are you even going through all this trouble?" she demanded. "Yeah, I beat your maze. So what? I don't even know your name and you are stalking my dreams. What's your problem?" She poked him in the chest, her eyes bloodshot and blazing.

He looked amused, lounging on a loveseat in the current setting for her dream, which appeared to be some sort of hunting lodge. "You wish to know my name?" he asked.

Sarah rolled her eyes, "Well obviously it gets a little redundant to keep calling you Goblin King, and apparently you aren't going to leave me be," she shot him a dirty look for good measure. "So, yeah, I would like something to call you."

"I think the word _master_ would certainly suffice," he said silkily, rising from the couch and invading her space. His wild blonde hair tickled her face and made her shudder as he leaned down to whisper in her ear. "If you wish to know my name, you must do something for me. Very few learn my name and are allowed to remain outside my kingdom. Although," he murmured, and Sarah gasped as a spark of electricity zinged through her body from the necklace, "I suppose it won't matter, since you are mine anyway."

"Whoa, easy there. I am _not_ yours, your arrogant jerk." She shoved at his chest. "I'll just ask my friends, Hoggle mentioned it once before I think...and at least they don't come with strings attached," she spat.

He looked thoughtful for a moment. "Friends? You mean those treasonous little beasts that helped you through the Labyrinth? I wouldn't count on them helping you again if they knew what was good for them, though I'm sure they have learned their lesson." He flicked his riding crop for emphasis. "Especially the scab."

Sarah gasped. "What have you done to them you _monster_?"

He simply gave her an impish smile. "What a shame, you seem to be waking up. It seems as though we shall have to postpone this little chat until tomorrow night. If you can last that long," he smirked. She raised her arm, ready to slap the expression right off his face-

"Sarah, you're going to be late!" Karen called up the stairs.

And that was how she found herself trying to force down some breakfast before drifting to sleep during class, waking up in a panic and repeating the process until she returned home. Tears came unbidden to her eyes. This is what her life had become. Being unable to sleep while not being able to escape her dreams. She felt her eyes drifting closed once more.

"_Soon, precious. Soon you won't be able to fight at all."_ She heard him in her mind, crooning to her like a lover. She hated it, hated that he had taken away her choices, and for what? She didn't even know what he wanted from her other than to exhaust the hell out of her for his own sick amusement.

"I need help," she whimpered.

* * *

He watched through a crystal as she dozed off during class. She was nearly ready, just one more little push and she would agree to anything he asked of her just to simply be allowed some _rest._ She would be back Underground for good, and nothing that she said or did would ever change that. No one escaped him twice. Ever.

"And once I have you in my clutches, my little bird," he chuckled humorlessly. "Well, then the real fun begins." His voice grew soft, "But what no one knew..." His expression hardened and he crushed the crystal into dust. There would be time for that very soon.

"_I wish the Goblins would come take you away right now!"_ The whining of yet another petulant child rang in his mind. He felt the stirrings of his magic tugging him towards the summons and hoped the child would make it quick, Sarah would surely be sleeping in less than thirteen hours. He curled his lip; this wisher was going to _wish_ he had never been born.

* * *

"Are you sure you don't want to come with us Sarah?" Robert asked as Karen wrestled Toby into his winter coat to combat the chill of the unusually cold March weather. "We won't be long at the mall, just picking up a few things. We should be home before the storm hits," he promised.

"No thanks, Dad. I have a text tomorrow in Spanish. I'll have dinner ready for when you get back," she offered, hoping that they would leave.

"Oh how thoughtful," Karen gushed. "We will be back in no time, so don't you worry." She winked, ushering her husband and son out the door.

Sarah busied herself with making coffee. She knew that her father did not approve of her drinking so much caffeine, which was partially why she chose to stay home, so that she could bolt down some coffee and have time to be rid of the evidence. With a small frown she realized that it would probably not be effective at keeping her awake, but she had to keep trying. Whatever _he _was up to, she needed to be alert. With a heavy sigh she dragged her backpack over to the table and grudgingly took out her Spanish textbook.

An hour or had passed when she decided it was time to take a break and make dinner. She began chopping vegetables and looked out the window, noticing the weather turning sour right before her eyes, winds picking up as the snow and rain came down harder, most likely freezing on the ground.

_Ring, ring, ring!_

Sarah smiled, knowing that her father had forgotten to remind her about something random that he insisted was vital to remember before he left, as usual. "I suppose I should have known I would be getting this call," she said into the receiver, a wry smile on her face.

The voice on the line was not the comforting tenor of her father, but instead a gruff, deep one. "Is this Sarah Williams?" It asked.

"Y-yes, may I ask who's calling?" she was getting a bad feeling about this.

"Miss Williams, my name is Officer Jordan, your family has been in an accident. They're being taken to the hospital for emergency care. Do you have a means of transportation to get there?" Sarah felt numb and hardly even registered that the officer was speaking to her.

"Are they gonna be okay?" she asked in a small voice.

"They are being taken to the hospital where they will be taken care of. Miss Williams, would you like an officer to come pick you up?" he asked again patiently.

"I-yes. What happened to them?"

"You just wait there, I would prefer to discuss this in person," he said calmly. meanwhile Sarah's head was racing with scenarios, the Goblin King being responsible for nearly half of them.

"Please hurry," she whimpered, her voice cracking from the tears that were beginning to fall down her cheeks.

"Of course, I will see you soon," Officer Jordan said and then hung up.

Sarah dashed up the stairs to grab Lancelot before frantically getting ready to leave. her breath came in gasps as she wiped away silent tears. Now was not the time for panic, not when her family needed her. "Please let them be alright," she whispered. "Mom, if you can hear me," she pleaded towards the ceiling, "_please_ let them be okay. I can't lose them."

Within minutes a firm knock sounded at the front door. A middle aged man dressed in a police uniform stood there looking somber. Sarah spotted the name badge with Jordan spelled across in capital letters. He held out his hand for her to shake, "Officer Jordan, we spoke on the phone," he greeted.

Sarah was sure she looked like a mess with her bloodshot eyes and raggedy teddy bear in her arms, but couldn't find the energy to care as she followed Officer Jordan to the large SUV police car with large snow chains decorating the tires.

"Miss Williams, is there any other family that we should be contacting?" the officer asked seriously.

"No," she felt her throat closing up. "Just me." Another tear trickled its way down her face and she sniffled.

"I'm so sorry Miss Williams. It appears that your dad turned a corner too sharply and skidded on the ice. The car rolled three times before it landed in the ditch." he said slowly. Sarah didn't know how to respond to that so they sat in uncomfortable silence for the rest of the trip.

At the hospital, things had only gotten worse. The receptionist had shoved a clipboard full of insurance forms at her and insisted that she fill them out before she could see her family. Sarah hadn't known how to fill them out correctly and was on the verge of a visible breakdown when Officer Jordan had firmly told the receptionist that it could wait.

So now she was in her baby brother's bedside, watching him struggle for breath. From what she could see that wasn't covered by an oxygen mask, his face was covered in cuts and bruises from the windshield shattering. She carefully placed Lancelot next to the hand that had less needles in it. "Hang in there, little guy. We've been through tighter spots than this," she whispered, pushing back his curly blonde hair from his forehead tenderly.

"Sarah Williams?" A voice said behind her. A man in a white coat stood there.

"My name is Doctor McGee, and I am your father's physician. Would you follow me?" he asked kindly,his expression carefully calm. Sarah was beyond caring, though, and simply nodded.

"I'm sorry to tell you this Miss Williams, but we did everything we could for your father and stepmother, but their injuries were too severe. They have passed." The doctor had tried to sound sympathetic, but to Sarah it had sounded empty. She wanted to sink her nails into his face and demand that he bring them back, that he _do something_, but she knew it was too late.

"What about Toby?" she asked shakily, darting a glance back towards his room.

"We think he will recover, but there is a high risk of brain abnormalities due to his developmental age," Dr. McGee warned. "There is nothing that we can do at this time other than wait to see if he wakes up." Then, extending his condolences once more, he left.

Sarah had never felt more alone in her life. There was nothing that they could do for Toby, the only thing she had left.

_Unless._

The Goblin King. He wanted something from her, maybe she could make him a deal that would save Toby. "I wish-"

A hand clapped over her mouth and a voice whispered harshly in her ear. "Oh, I wouldn't do that, my pretty. Don't want to attract the wrong attention now do we?"

Sarah's eyes widened. She clutched at the hand that was keeping her from screaming.

"Shhh. I am going to let you go, but don't scream. They can't see me anyway," the voice cautioned her before making good on its word and releasing her. Sarah whirled around and the first thing she saw was green skin. It was a woman dressed in solid black.

"You're Jareth's little prize aren't you?" the woman said as she appraised her. "Huh. You don't look like much of a Champion right now, though, do you, my pretty?" She cackled.

"Who are you and what do you want?" Sarah demanded. "I just lost my parents and I sure as _hell_ do not need this from you!" she shouted.

The woman gave a mocking curtsy. "I am known to some as the Wicked Witch of the West," she proclaimed. "But you can call me Elphie. I overheard the good Doctor earlier, it seems that you may need my help."

"I don't even know you," Sarah said accusingly, "how do I know you won't just make him worse? You are, after all, _wicked_."

Elphie let out another cackle. "Oh my, so suspicious. I am only wicked to my enemies, dear, and right now, I think I want you on my side. I can help you, trust me," she said confidently. The green witch leaned closer to whisper conspiratorially, "And I guarantee that my price is far lower than _his_ will be."

"What are you going to do?" Sarah asked, apprehension leaking into her strong facade.

"I will take you with me to Oz, make sure he can't find you or your baby brother and, keep you safe," she promised. "But, you will never come back here again."

"That's it? There has to be something else," Sarah reasoned, waiting for the catch.

"Oh, there will be. You'll simply owe me a favor," she said and gave Sarah a smile that was supposed to be sweet. The effect was more chilling than warm. "Do hurry with your decision, because little Timmy is dying and I can't bring back the dead."

"Toby," she corrected with a glare.

Elphaba waved her hand, "Yes, whatever. And in any case, we only have a short window of time in which to work before darling little Jareth gets rid of his runner and comes for you."

"That name sounds familiar, who is J-" Sarah started and found her mouth covered again.

"Don't say his name. He already listens to you far too much and will take it as an invitation to come take you away and we wouldn't want that now would we? Then little Tommy would end up a goblin or worse." she winked.

A shrill beeping noise came from Toby's room and Sarah's heart began to pound. She couldn't let her brother die, especially not after she wished him away and fought so hard to keep him.

"Fine," she cried, holding her hand out for the witch to shake. "Save him, please," she begged. Elphaba grinned and suddenly in a flash of silver cut a horizontal gash across sarah's hand, red blood marring the pale skin. The witch turned the knife to her own hand as black ichor blossomed at the surface. She seized Sarah's hand, ignoring the way Sarah flinched at the painful mingling of blood and magic.

"We have ourselves a deal," she crowed. The last thing Sarah remembered was a flash of light, and then her world went dark.

* * *

**That's it for now. I know I haven't updated TFH in forever, but this idea just popped into my head and wouldn't let go...so here it is.**

**Please Review!**

**Chaotic-Masterpiece**


	2. Chapter 2

**Swear to shake it up if you swear to listen**

**Oh we're still so young, desperate for attention**

**I aim to be your eyes**

**trophy boys, trophy wives.**

**-Panic at the Disco**

_**The Only Difference Between Martyrdom and Suicide is Press Coverage**_

* * *

"Five minutes and twelve seconds left," Jareth murmured as he bounced a baby on his knee absently, gazing into the crystal in his gloved hand. "The boy doesn't have a chance-he's stuck in an oubliette for heaven's sake! Just give up!" he growled, gripping the crystal tighter until tiny cracks began to appear. "I've much more important things to attend to than a silly runner who doesn't know when to admit defeat." Crushing the orb, he turned his attention to the baby girl in his lap, taking a calming breath. She stared at him with something akin to wonder on her face, her wide blue eyes transfixed on his wild blonde hair. She reached a chubby hand towards a lock and he let her play with it for a moment before gently loosening her hold and pulling her close to his chest, cradling her tenderly. "What a foolish babysitter you have, little bug," he claimed softly, making a face at the baby. He was rewarded with a giggle and gave her a conspiratorial grin in return, she babbled something incoherent at him and he nodded indulgently.

"You know," he said conversationally, stroking the baby's bright orange curls, "of all the children that have been wished away to me over the centuries, I have only had to give up a handful." The little girl watched his mouth in rapt fascination. "Four of the five were won back in my first eighty years of ruling," he continued, his hand moving from her wild curls to her back as he began to rock gently back and forth.

"I was young, you see, still learning the ways of the Labyrinth and the rules of the game. I made many mistakes, but I always learned from them. I became better and better at it until no one could best me," he explained, his lips quirking up as he noticed the little tyke's eyelids begin to droop. "Until Sarah Williams came along and turned my world upside down. Most unfair of her, don't you think?" he admonished softly. "I'm afraid things just haven't been the same," he murmured more to himself then the child that was now sleeping contentedly in his arms. "But soon all will be right again, my little bug," he swept her hair to the side and pressed a gentle kiss to her pale forehead. "Perhaps she will even want to keep you here with us instead of sending you to the rest of my wished aways," he mused. "All the more reason to go collect her, wouldn't you agree?"

Moving slowly and taking care not to jostle the sleeping babe, he walked into a beautiful nursery and laid the child in a small wooden cradle. He gave a wistful sigh as he looked around the room. This room had been intended for his own children when the castle had been built, but since he had yet to find a suitable queen-well at least since he had yet to convince her-it made do as a sanctuary for his little charges while their caregivers ran the Labyrinth. If they even tried, which happened less and less frequently as the price of dreams coming true rose ever higher. Most fell into temptation. Foolish mortals. He straightened and looked down fondly at the sleeping angel. How anyone could wish away something as precious as a child was something he would never understand. "Sleep well, little bug," he whispered. "His time is up, I'm afraid. Soon this will all be but a dream."

* * *

"Please, oh please let me out," a young man sobbed in the darkness of the oubliette. "It's so dark," he wailed. "I choose _up!_"

"There is no time for that any longer, Aaron. Your time is up, you have failed to solve the Labyrinth and as such the child is mine," Jareth sneered. He allowed the teen no light for his feeble human eyes, watching in sick amusement as he groped blindly through the darkness for something to anchor himself to.

"What am I supposed to do? Her parents will be home at ten!" the boy protested. Jareth scoffed at his selfishness.

"I fail to see how that is my concern. You certainly did not care about that when you wished her away, did you, you stupid boy?" he snapped.

"Please, I'll do anything. You can keep Jenny, just get me out of trouble," Aaron begged, dropping to his knees. "I need these babysitting gigs to save up for college."

Jareth rolled his eyes, ready to refuse the young man's request when an idea came to him. "Anything?" he asked calmly.

"Whatever you want," Aaron promised.

Jareth walked over and roughly grasped his upper arm. "Fine. I will erase all memories of little Jenny from the mortal world above." He heard a sigh of relief. "However," he added, " in exchange, you will allow me twenty-four hours of complete control over your body in the world above. Do we have a deal?"

Aaron ran a hand through his gelled hair apprehensively. "What are you gonna do with it?" he asked warily.

"Ensnare a young girl into my waiting trap, where she will remain for all eternity," he answered blithely. Sensing the boy's growing doubts, he went for the kill. "It's only a few hours," he crooned. "You don't even know her. Besides, you don't really have a choice," he added, "think of what happens if you refuse my offer." His voice became darker with menace. "The baby disappears under your care, with plenty of evidence suggesting something tragic happening by your hands." He grinned as the stench of young Aaron's fear began to permeate the air, his heart racing almost as quickly as his thoughts were sure to be. Jareth leaned down speak directly into his ear. "You go to jail, with the darkest of stains on your reputation. Trust me, Aaron," he murmured, "you want to accept my deal."

Aaron hung his head, disgusted at his own selfish cowardice. "Yes, Goblin King. You win."

Jareth grinned. "I always do."

* * *

When Sarah woke, she felt like she had been hit with an ice cream truck. She groaned; _everything_ hurt. Grimacing, she tried to open her eyes, but found that the light did not agree with her pounding headache. "Ouch," she whined.

"Oh so you _are_ alive!" came a shrill voice above her. "Well? Get up. We have so much to do and so little time to do it." Sarah didn't move. Her body ached with every shallow breath she took, and no angry little woman was going to make her move it unless it was an absolute emergency.

"I said get _up_," the voice ordered, taking on a gravelly tone. "The Goblin King is bound to notice you are missing my now, my pretty, so unless you want him to find you, I suggest we move."

At the words 'Goblin King,' Sarah's eyes flew open as the events of the previous night came rushing back to her. Sure enough, as she looked to her right, there stood the green skinned witch, dressed in her black tattered dress and pointy black hat. Sarah's hand flew to her head, holding it tenderly as it throbbed.

Elphaba cackled, "Little sore, deary? That would be the magic I gave you. It doesn't jive so well with whatever else you've got in those veins of yours. You'll get used to it," she assured, "or I suppose you'll die." More laughter. "Either way, there's nothing you can do about it now so let's go."

Sarah looked around curiously. "Where are we?" She was in a meadow with nothing but green grass around her. In the distance, she could see a dark and foreboding forest blanketed with what looked like mist.

"Well where do you think?" the witch huffed, "You're in Oz. Now here," she tossed Sarah a broomstick, "get on."

Sarah stared dumbly at the object in her hand uncomprehendingly. "Excuse me? I can't fly," she reminded Elphaba.

The witch rolled her eyes, "That would be the point of the broom. Do you think I would _choose_ to ride on something as uncomfortable as a broomstick if I had a choice?" She muttered something under her breath, but Sarah couldn't catch quite it, something about wedgies and splinters, it sounded like.

"But where are we going?" Sarah protested, still holding the broom an arm's length away as she eyed it with mistrust.

She heard a growl of frustration and the next thing she knew she was being grasped by the front of her shirt and pulled just inches away from an irate Wicked Witch of the West. "Now you listen here, missy," she warned in a dangerous voice. "I don't have time for you to sit here and lollygag. You ask one more question and I just might cut out that tongue of yours to use in one of my potions, understood?" Speechless, Sarah merely nodded with wide fearful eyes. "Good. Now _get on the broom_," demanded Elphaba. "We are going to visit little Tibbles."

Wordlessly, Sarah complied, not daring to correct the mercurial witch. As soon as she was in position over the broomstick, she felt it begin to tingle with magic and felt her stomach drop-she had never been good with heights. She leaned down and clutched the old wood for dear life, her eyes screwed tightly shut and waited.

"Well it's never going to go anywhere if you cower like that," came the irritated drawl from above her.

Ever so slowly, Sarah opened her eyes. She was a grand total of three feet off the ground. Sheepishly, she looked up to Elphie who was sitting quite comfortably with her arms crossed over her chest. The emerald of her skin faintly shimmered in the sunlight, though it was difficult to see since the only skin that saw the light of day was on her hands. Sarah opened her mouth to ask her about it, but remembered the witch's threat and wisely closed it once more.

"You have pull the broomstick in the direction you want to go," Elphaba advised, descending until she was level with Sarah. "Like this." She demonstrated, shifting her weight backwards as she slowly pulled upward on the wood of the handle. Slowly and gently, the broom lifted into the air. "You try," she commanded.

Sarah felt nervousness take root in her gut. She wanted to go _up?_ Couldn't they fly closer to the ground? Her heart began to pick up tempo. "Um, Elphie? I-heights. Uh," she had never felt so tongue tied.

"UP!" the witch roared. Sarah panicked and gave a harsh tug upwards. Her muscles locked beneath her as she clung to the broom for dear life. Faster than a shot, the broom sailed up into the sky, nearly unseating its helpless rider.

"Please stop, please stop, please stop," Sarah begged, laying her head against the worn old wood as she felt the mist of clouds wet her face. "I want to go down." Still the broom sped upwards, nearly at a ninety degree angle from the ground. Beyond her panic, Sarah was beginning to have difficulty breathing at the high altitude. With a jolt she realized that she would pass out and fall if she did not do something.

Steeling her nerves, Sarah painfully tried to loosen her crushing grip, slowly straightening her arms and pushing the tip of the broomstick down until it was parallel with the ground. The broom jerkily came to a halt and she tried desperately to stop her shaking. She took as deep a breath as she could muster, but didn't dare look down, knowing that the vertigo would make her vomit. Carefully and oh so slowly, she guided her broom downward once more, careful to keep her eyes ahead of her, looking anywhere but the ground.

As Sarah descended, she heard the all too familiar wicked cackle of her companion as the witch circled around her. "That was quite the show. So much _fear," _she shivered in delight.

Sarah swallowed hard. The woman was insane. From her drop of a hat mood swings to the strange lilt of her voice, it was clear that she had one or two screws missing upstairs. The fact that she also seemed to have a penchant for pain and suffering did not bode well for Sarah either. "Out of the frying pan and into the fire, I see," she muttered. "Don't worry, Toby, I'm coming."

* * *

Present Day

When Sarah regained consciousness, she found that she had been tied to a chair and gagged with silk scarves. She looked around the room as far as her bonds would allow, and was confused by the lack of furnishings. The walls were bare white and the floor made of stone. It reminded Sarah vaguely of a hospital in its sterile blandness, though it was much quieter than a hospital, the only sound in the room being her breathing.

"Well, what have we here? Why it looks like there is nowhere for you to run any longer, my sweet." The mocking voice of the Goblin King echoed around the room, though the ruler himself had yet to make his grand entrance. Sarah closed her eyes and focused on her breathing, keeping them steady and even. Surprisingly, she was glad that he had gagged her, because that meant she wouldn't be expected to answer any of his questions-not that she had planned on it in the first place.

She felt a soft touch of leather gloves on her cheeks, framing her face. Still, she kept her eyes firmly closed.

"Sarah, darling," he admonished in an amused voice, "it's very rude to ignore someone when they are right in front of you." His tone grew colder as his grip on her face became harsher, "But to ignore and insult your king, your _master_. Now that's a different matter entirely." The moment he stopped speaking, the long forgotten pendant that still hung about her throat pulsed with power and began to grow hotter and hotter until she was certain she would have blisters. Sarah gritted her teeth and screwed her eyes shut tighter just to spite him, determined to win this battle of wills.

"Just let me _rule_ you," he said coaxingly. "Do as I say and you needn't ever be in pain," he simply shook her head and nearly cried out from the pain of such a simple movement jostling her burning skin. "Sarah," he chided, "swallow your pride. You are only hurting yourself."

If Sarah had the energy to spare she would have snorted. Sure he would pin this on her when it was _his _necklace that was causing her harm in the first place. _In and out, breathe and blow, in and out, breathe and blow._ She chanted in her head. She could feel the silver chain beginning to shorten around her neck, closing tighter until it became difficult to breathe.

Trying to breathe freely while gagged was difficult in and of itself, but it was nigh impossible when airflow was restricted around the throat as well. Sarah gasped for air but it was futile. _You've endured worse than this,_ she reminded herself. The burning grew worse until Sarah was certain she would die. At the last moment, an image of her baby brother flashed in her mind. Her eyes flew open and the chain immediately loosened, all burning sensation gone as if it had never been there at all. Jareth regarded her smugly.

"Now was that so difficult, my pet? Simply be cordial and you will find me to be quite pleasant." He waved his hand carelessly and he sat in the chair that had suddenly manifested itself in front of her. Another finger flick and her gag was gone, though the rest of her bonds remained in place. Sarah flexed her jaw experimentally, wincing when it popped painfully.

"I have some questions for you, my dear, and you will not be going anywhere until they are answered, do I make myself clear?" he stated plainly. When it became clear that she was not going to acknowledge him, Jareth huffed in frustration and pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes. "Don't be difficult, Sarah. It will be easier on both of us if you could just _behave. _Simply tell me what I want to know and we can move forward."

She snorted. "Don't sit there and pretend like everything will be alright as long as I do what you say," her voice was hoarse. "It can't be." She felt the sting of tears in her eyes and looked towards the ceiling, blinking furiously trying to dispel them. She would not cry in front of him.

Jareth saw the distress the girl was trying so hard to hide and he felt a small twinge of guilt. He rose and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "Would it really have been that awful to stay?" he asked softly.

Sarah pursed her lips. She wanted to be angry, to scream that it would have been a living hell to stay with a monster like him. She simply didn't have the energy to be cruel to him, so instead she opted for the simple truth. "I never really had a choice. It's never been about me. It has always been about Toby."

Jareth regarded her for a moment, unsure of how to proceed. "What happened to him?" he asked carefully.

Sarah took a ragged breath, "He's gone."

* * *

Sarah and Elphaba had been flying for the better part of the day with no end in sight and Sarah groaned. Her muscles were cramped from staying in one position too long and her large winter clothes did more harm than help as they billowed in the wind, catching air and slowing her down, not to mention the fact that she'd lost a boot miles ago. The fear she had towards the witch was beginning to ebb as Sarah became more and more grouchy.

"Elphie, how much farther?" she complained, ignoring the glare she received.

"We would be there already if you weren't so slow," the green woman snarled. Looking behind Sarah, her eyes suddenly got wide. "Land!" she cried. "Down in those trees." She pointed to the treacherous looking forest below and Sarah hesitated. She looked at the danger behind them and saw nothing but rain clouds. She looked below again, weighing her options. If there was a place for danger to be lurking, that was it. Unfortunately, the Wicked Witch didn't seem to care about her misgivings. "NOW, you fool!" she screeched, flying close and sinking her bony fingers into Sarah's ankle before tugging viciously downward, nearly sending Sarah's broom out of control.

"Message received, no need to get violent," Sarah snapped, lowering her broom cautiously as the witch sped out of sight. It took a little longer to maneuver through the thick foliage without falling, but in moments she was on solid ground. With a squeal she dropped to her knees and splayed her hands on the cold dirt below. "I made it," she said with a triumphant smile. She stood and looked around for Elphaba, ignoring her protesting muscles as she stretched and straightened.

Lightning pierced the sudden darkness that had fallen around her and Sarah squeaked in alarm as a boom of thunder accompanied it. Soon after, unmistakable sound of rain falling filled the air. Sarah felt only a few fat raindrops despite what sounded like a heavy downpour. She looked up at the trees above her and marveled at this strange new place she found herself in.

"Where did she go? Elphie!" she called, choosing a random direction to walk in.

Suddenly, an arm shot out and pulled her forcefully backwards into a tree trunk. Sarah looked down in alarm, only to find that it was a tree branch that had captured her.

"You lost, little girl?" a seedy voice crooned in her ear. "How about you stay here for a while. I'm sure they'll find you eventually." Sarah turned her head and found a grotesque imitation of a face peering at her from the wood of the tree. One of the knarly eyes winked at her, making Sarah's skin crawl. She felt the thick branch around her waist shift to get a sturdier grip on her, growing and elongating until the 'fingers' had nearly attached back to the tree. Immediately she began to struggle, the rough bark cutting into her skin and rubbing it raw as she punched and kicked and wriggled. She screamed.

The tree groaned in pleasure, "I love it when they scream." Another branch appeared in front of her face, this one holding a half rotted apple. "Open up, beautiful. Taste our forbidden fruit so you can stay forever." The stench coming from the apple nearly made Sarah gag.

"ELPHIE!" she shrieked just before her mouth was stuffed with rotten apple.

Another flash of lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating a silhouette in the darkness as she wind howled above. An instant later, the tree behind her made an awful gurgling noise and loosened his grip on her. Sarah raised her arms and shimmied out of the tree's deadly embrace, spitting the apple out and making sure no trace of it had made it down her throat.

"How nice of you to volunteer, I was running low on poison sap." Sarah heard the witch's voice behind her and whirled around, watching in morbid fascination as Elphaba pulled a wicked looking blade out of the tree just to plunge it in once more and _twist_. The tree cried out in agony, begging for mercy.

"Oh no, little tree, you should know better, I ran out of mercy a long time ago." She cackled with unholy glee, pulling a vial out of one of the pockets of her dress and began collecting the blood red sap from the dying tree. Sarah watched in horror as the tree suddenly began to harden and whiten in color, losing every single one of its leaves as the rain continued to pour. Elphaba, seemingly satisfied with her work, sheathed the blade and stooped to pick up one ruby red ripe apple from the dead branches, stowing it away. She looked up to regard Sarah once more.

"Don't make me save you again, little Champion," she warned. "_Especially_ not when it's raining or I will make you regret it." Without another word, she strode through the trees, studying the ground intently.

Sarah was dumbfounded. What was the witch's _deal?_ Numbly, she began following timidly, picking up her broomstick from where she had dropped it. The bristles swept aside some fallen leaves and Sarah's heart lifted. Civilization!

"Elphie, there's a road," she called. "It's made of brick," she added, sweeping away the debris from the storm.

"What color is it?" demanded the cranky witch.

Sarah made a face, but made sure that Elphaba couldn't see. "Red. Is there another color of brick?"

Elphaba ignored her and began walking down the road confidently. Sarah followed behind her, waiting for an explanation. When she got none, she decided that one more question couldn't hurt. "Where does this lead?" she asked.

"Munchkinland."

* * *

**A/N -First off, if anyone is confused, the red brick road is a reference to the movie. When Dorothy heaads down the yellow brick road, there is a red brick road right beside it. I always wondered where it went...now we know where part of it leads! :) Anyway...**

**Here is my gift to you all for being amazing. Seriously, thank you so much for all of the feedback I have been getting, it means a lot. So here is another installment for you. Let me know what you think?**

**As always, questions are welcomed as well as constructive criticism, I appreciate feedback!**

**~Chaotic-Masterpiece**


	3. Chapter 3

_So cold but you have my body_

_One kiss and this is gonna haunt me_

_My God you look so lovely girl_

_Heart's gone, tonight is your chance_

_You traded love for a little romance_

_Tonight will be the last dance girl_

_-__**Where's My Angel?**_

**_Metro Station_**

* * *

Aaron Summers was an average guy. Decently well liked at school, he got good grades and had a promising baseball career ahead of him: life was good. At least, that's what he had thought up until a week ago, when his routine babysitting gig went horribly wrong, leading him to be in his current predicament.

It had been a normal Friday night. Mr. and Mrs. O'Reilly had called him up to babysit so that they could celebrate their anniversary without having to worry about their nine-month-old little girl. Four hours max, they'd told him, just dinner and a show. Simple.

But Jenny had been in an awful snit that night, fussy and _annoying._ Aaron had always thought of himself as the patient type, but it just so happened that he had received a D on his history exam earlier that day, and was not feeling forgiving to the moods of a baby.

Looking back now, Aaron shook his head as his shoulders hung heavily with guilt. What a prick he had been. Her mother had warned him that she was teething and likely to be grumpy and in pain, but none of that had seemed to matter at the time. Instead, he had dumped her in her crib and tried to read her a bedtime story, _The Labyrinth_. Of course, when Jenny refused to listen, Aaron had wished her away in a fit of anger.

That night would likely haunt him for the rest of his life. Not only had he faced the terrifying maze itself which had featured in his nightmares, he had also lost Jenny, an innocent baby, and given up his body to an ethereal King in order to trap another innocent girl. Wearily, Aaron rubbed his eyes, aware of how terrible he looked. He hadn't slept in three days and it clearly showed. Dark circles framed his eyes, the sight of food made him sick, and he couldn't look anyone in the eye. He was falling apart.

No one knew of his terrible act, the Goblin King had taken care of that, just as he'd said. But that still didn't ease the weight on his chest. What a mess he'd made. When he opened his eyes, the all too familiar figure of the Goblin King was lounging on his bed, looking positively bored.

"Hello, Aaron," he greeted cordially as he conjured a crystal and looked into it intently. A frown appeared on his face, as he crushed the glass ball and created an identical one. "Where _are_ you?" Aaron heard him murmur. He cleared his throat loudly to get the King's attention.

"So, uh, what's gonna happen here?" he asked a little fearfully, jiggling his foot rapidly to try and soothe his nerves. It might not have been the smartest idea to question the magical King who was about to take over, but Aaron was feeling apprehensive. What if he went into a coma? Or worse? Luckily, the ethereal king seemed not to take offense and instead answered him plainly.

"You will sleep, or something similar while I take over your physical body. When I am finished, you will be returned as if nothing has happened. Though perhaps I will ensure you do not wake for a few hours afterward. You look simply awful with those circles round your eyes."

"Could you just get this over with?" Aaron asked tiredly.

"As you wish," the Goblin King said, rising from the bed to gently sweep away the boy's limp hair. He pulled the leather glove off of his other hand with his teeth and Aaron started to panic when he saw sparks flying off the King's fingers. Jareth held him fast, "Shh," he soothed. "This won't hurt a bit. Rest now." He touched his bare fingers to Aaron's forehead and the boy was overcome with the strangest sensation of falling before he faded into deep unconsciousness.

Jareth carefully monitored the boy's essence as it filled a crystal, luminescent and infinitely delicate. Everything that Aaron _was_ made up the substance, and any slight disturbance could have disastrous consequences, and holding it anywhere other than its intended body required his full attention to prevent accidents. When the crystal was fully formed, he flicked his wrist and sent it back into one of his vaults for safekeeping. No use in damaging the boy who was helping him so much by being careless.

With all other affairs in order, Jareth took a deep breath as he prepared to inhabit Aaron's empty shell of a body. This was going to be unpleasant, but there was no way around it. He couldn't stay Above for extended periods of time without a human body to inhabit. The magic starved world would bleed him dry until he could no longer get home to the Underground. Closing his eyes, he concentrated on the body and filling the void he had created by removing Aaron's soul. He felt immense pressure all around as his essence was molded into Aaron's, squeezing, flowing and to a certain extent _changing_. Before long it was complete and Jareth marveled at the sheer weight of the emotions he was now capable of.

As Fae, his level of emotional range was lesser than that of mortals, but ran far deeper, because emotion was where the brunt of his magic manifested. He needed strong emotions for his magic, but that left little room for complexity. While in mortal form, the magic was gone, and he while he felt less strongly, he felt _more_, which was both a blessing and a curse. It was also why he chose to inhabit owls when he was needed Above, they were far simpler and they didn't need to be extracted from their bodies. Unlike humans, owls were much less picky about who shared their body and took control, making for an easy trip.

He took a moment to level his head, which was more difficult than it should have been. Guilt and satisfaction mingled uncomfortably in regards to Aaron, while anger, desire and despair all battled for dominance around Sarah's face, adding to the maelstrom of emotions he had not felt in nearly a century since the last time he had taken human form. He held his skull in both hands as if trying to keep it from exploding. These blasted feelings were keeping him from thinking clearly, logically, and most importantly, _painlessly_.

Three great chimes from the grandfather clock down the hall finally snapped Jareth back to the present. Whether he liked it or not, time was moving on without him and there was nothing he could do about it without his magic. It was time to get a move on.

"Sarah," he said to himself. The word was charged with so much conflicting emotion that he could hardly understand it himself. Instead he repeated it, eventually becoming a mantra as he left the house and sped down the street in Aaron's rusty old station wagon.

* * *

As Sarah followed her green skinned companion along the red brick road, her mind wandered. What were the chances of Elphaba finding her at the very moment Sarah needed help? Sarah wasn't the kind to look a gift horse in the mouth, but the circumstances were quite fishy. How had the witch even known about her existence at all? This Oz place certainly seemed different from the Underground, so how did Elphaba known about the Labyrinth at all? And why help her? The cranky, vindictive witch before her would not be what Sarah considered benevolent, nor was she patient or forgiving, if her actions against the tree were any indication.

She suppressed a shiver as she remembered the tree's tortured screams as it died. The witch had looked positively gleeful as she inflicted pain and suffering. Sarah had never seen such pleasure in cruelty, not even in the Labyrinth at the hands of the Goblin King. Sarah's mind reeled with unanswered questions that she was too frightened to ask.

Elphaba brought Sarah's attention back to the present when she held out a hand that emanated orange fire.

"Reveal yourself," she snarled. Sarah began craning her neck looking for the threat as she drew closer to her unconventional black clad protector. The forest of cursed trees was ending but Sarah could scarcely see anything beyond the border of the last few trees as the space beyond was obscured by a white mist so thick it resembled a wall, even though it was constantly in motion, testing its boundaries.

Elphaba had still not moved an inch, her fire sparking and snapping with her agitation. "Come out, "she called in a sickly sweet tone. "I'll find you one way or another. Come face me and your death will be quicker," she called.

He moved so swiftly that Sarah could barely see the motion. One instant they were standing alone and in the next there was a man with Elphaba's wrist in a solid grip. "I bear you no ill will, witch. I come with questions." He turned his head and fixed Sarah with a curious stare. He looked like no one Sarah had ever seen before, with white hair and glittering silver scales seeming to rest just below the surface of his nearly translucent skin. He wore only a pair of drawstring pants made of a rough looking material, displaying what looked like black swirling tattoos over his torso and running down his exposed arms. They looked like shadows and never stopped moving as they chased each other across his body. Sarah's eyes widened as she saw his fingers and toes possessed tapered of points that formed deadly looking claws. His pupils were slitted like a cat and the iris a strange violet color and bored into her intently.

"And who," he began, "are you?" After giving the green witch a meaningful look, he released her now extinguished hand, and approached Sarah instead.

"I'm Sarah," she said hesitantly, unnerved by the weight of the strange man's gaze.

"And from whence do you hail, Miss Sarah?" he asked politely, ignoring her obvious discomfort as he began to circle her like a predator who had just found his next prey. Her heart began to thud in her chest and she moved her broomstick to be gripped in both of her hands to hide the fact that they had started to shake.

Elphaba cut her off. "She's my sister. From the East, near Munchkinland." The silver scaled man nodded thoughtfully as Sarah eagerly latched on to the escape route given.

"Yes, the East," she echoed.

"And do you possess the same power as your…sister?" It was clear he didn't believe their story, but if Elphaba didn't want people to know she was the Champion of the Labyrinth from Earth, there must be a good reason behind it. It was clear that Elphaba either would not or could not get rid of him and she was not going to get anywhere by evading his questions and hoping he would leave her alone. It was time to go on the offensive.

"Well it seems a bit unfair that I should satisfy your curiosity and get nothing in return," she declared pleasantly.

He stopped circling and quirked an eyebrow as a corner of his mouth tugged upward. "Very well. And if I offer you safe passage across my marshlands? Does that suffice?" he challenged. Sarah looked over at Elphie for guidance who simply huffed in irritation.

"Well, I suppose that it does," she said slowly and carefully, watching for any hint of reaction from the cranky witch. She received none. Clearly she was on her own on this one.

"Excellent. Let us be on our way," he said smoothly, placing a hand on the small of her back and gently ushering her towards the milky oblivion before them.

Sarah was very uncomfortable with the level of familiarity the man was displaying. His skin was very warm to the touch as she found out when she flinched, her fingers grazing his shoulder. His hand firm on her back but seemed mindful of his claws. "Um, sir?" she protested lightly, dragging her feet as she looked back to the ever-silent Elphaba who straightened her hat and strode forward into the ominous white fog. "What are you doing? I thought—"

"If you are to cross my marshlands safely, I must accompany you. It is the only way," he said simply. "And as they are quite large, it gives me ample time to satisfy my…curiosity." The way he said curiosity made Sarah uneasy. It was almost…suggestive.

Elphaba snorted as she followed. "Now don't be too hasty, Gideon. I need her in one piece. Hands off."

The man groaned, "You know me too well, my dear Elphaba," he lamented playfully. He turned his attention back to Sarah, flashing her a grin that seemed more dangerous than comforting. "I guess we won't be having _too_ much fun then, will we my dear?" Sarah only stared with wide eyes. He winked cheekily. "Now," he said, letting go of Sarah and turning back to face them, he stretched his arms out on either side of him in a display of showmanship. "Welcome to my world," he announced, backing into the mist and disappearing.

Sarah was mystified but the effect was clearly lost on Elphaba, who rolled her eyes and trudged forward without a word. Sarah, more afraid of being left behind than of the unknown terrain, hesitantly edged her way into the marshlands.

Ever so slowly Sarah made her way into the oppressive white, scanning the area carefully. Brackish water and weeds surrounded a network of bridges and footpaths. Luckily, the air was sweet and heady instead of reeking like the Bog of Eternal Stench. It was comforting, not at all imposing like she had thought before. There was nothing but good things in this white paradise. She inhaled deeply once more, savoring the potent atmosphere and letting out a giggle.

In fact, the more time she spent in this strange new world of the marshes, the better she felt. Things that seemed to weigh down her mind were miles away leaving her light headed; in fact, she could hardly remember feeling anything but pleasant.

Sarah was finding her confidence as she lost her inhibitions, dancing around on the ledge of a bridge. Looking around, she could see nothing but the mists and light sparkling in the distance, beckoning her closer. Stragne little faces peered up at her from the water, waving at her, and some of them even started singing for her, softer than a lullaby but twice as tender. Sarah prepared to jump down from the ledge, if only to join those enchanting singers.

Someone whispered her name from somewhere behind her and she turned around to find Gideon smiling up at her. Here in the midst of his element, he was nearly invisible as his scales allowed him to blend into the white mist. She could see light playing off his scales that looked like light shimmering on water, faint enough to be subtle, but beautiful enough to be alluring. He made a sweeping gesture with his hand and the music stopped. Sarah felt her bottom lip begin to jut out into a pout, but she soon forgot any reason to be sad. She smelled the air once more and sighed happily before turning her attention back to the handsome scaly man.

"You found me," she said with a grin. He nodded and opened his arms in a wordless invitation. She jumped down to his level and looked at his face. Nagging doubt began to cloud her flawless mood. He had promised her…something, but the feeling was slipping away the longer she looked at him. Eventually, Sarah could do nothing but stare at him, and found herself moving closer and closer to that beautiful sparkle, all apprehension gone in the fog that seemed to permeate her mind as well as her surroundings.

She snuggled into his side, shuddering in pleasure as his warm arms wrapped around her. They stood still and Gideon chuckled. "How unfortunate that our dear green friend has forbidden me from touching you," he looked down at her with a wry grin. Sarah beamed, happy that he was happy.

"I could tell you anything here in this moment and you would believe me," he mused. "I could suggest that you do anything and you would obey unflinchingly." He stroked her chin with his thumb. "And if I told you I was a god, what would you do?" he asked, tilting her chin to look into her eyes knowingly.

"_Worship_ you," she breathed, unconsciously straining to kiss this beautiful stranger. He held her still and watched as she grew more and more restless.

"Yes," he agreed. He stroked her shoulder, a wistful expression on his face. "So beautiful, so pure. So many others have found me here and offered their very souls to me if I would only touch their face."

Sarah simply smiled at him as if he had hung the moon. Gideon seemed to consider her for a moment. "The Witch of the West is not here right now is she?" he asked with a playful smile, scanning the area. "In fact, she's lost in my marshes, and awfully close to a nasty surprise. She wouldn't even know if we bent a few rules," he persuaded at Sarah's confused expression. She was beginning to remember something about a witch. She was going to take her to…

"Toby?" The face of a small boy floated around in her mind and she tried desperately to hang on to it.

The hauntingly alluring being pursed his lips before running his fingers though his hair. "No, my name is Gideon. Who is Toby?" he asked. "Your beau, perhaps?" There was a strange edge to his voice.

"I—uh." Thinking was so difficult here when she wanted so badly to be carefree. The boy's face became clearer as her mind worked double time to hang on to this fleeting clarity.

"My brother. He needs me, I have to get to him," she said, turning to him with wide eyes that were suddenly focused on her mission. "Where is Elphaba?"

Gideon regarded her with something akin to shock that slowly melted into respect, mixed with something she couldn't identify. "Such cruel green eyes you have, Miss Sarah. Beautiful, but cruel," he sighed. "Come, let us collect our little friend before she does something stupid." He held out his hand for her to take. Seeing her apprehension, Gideon reassured her. "If you stay with me, I can lessen the effects of the marsh. Take my hand, Sarah. We'll get you to your brother."

Quickly, Sarah grasped his surprisingly soft hand and marched purposefully forward. Now that her head was clearing, Sarah tried to curb the fear that was threatening to crash over her. She had nearly forgotten about Toby _again_. More pretty things and shiny distractions, maybe she hadn't learned much from the Labyrinth at all. The thought frightened her more than she cared to admit, especially since she seemed to be hanging with a dangerous crowd these days.

Gideon made his way effortlessly through the paths, guiding her around certain areas for no apparent reason. "Gideon, what exactly is in these marshes?" she asked as she heard something that sounded suspiciously like the snapping of bone coming from somewhere behind them.

"Difficult to say," he said, not taking his eyes off of the ground. "I know of everything that goes on here, as any master of their domain should, but new arrivals come every day," he said casually. "You see, my marshes hold portals to countless realms, and if you are unlucky enough to stumble across them, heaven help you. Or," he said with a nasty grin, "whoever finds you, I suppose."

"Different realms?" Sarah asked, her mind instantly going to a certain hellish maze. "Do you know where they all go?"

"To a certain extent. The trouble with magic is that it's unpredictable, so they tend to change every few days or so. Is there someplace you'd like to go?" He gave her a sly look, "Or judging by your sudden nerves, somewhere you'd like to avoid?"

Sarah decided that she didn't like the intent way Gideon was staring at her and shrugged instead of answering. He frowned, but let the matter drop when they heard the distinct laugh of the Wicked Witch of the West coming from dead ahead.

She wasn't alone.

* * *

"You didn't hear about that, Aaron? I thought it was on the news. It's such a shame really, the whole Williams family gone in a crash. But I suppose that would be better than just one survivor, you know? Do you remember the girl, Aaron? I thought you had History with her last year, didn't you? Kind of quiet, but nice enough."

Jareth tried to look interested as the young girl prattled on ceaselessly. She was attracted to Aaron, he could tell, but hadn't told him. If the low cut top and sultry looks were anything to go by, she was getting desperate for him to make the first move.

With his best hopeful boyish smile, Jareth leaned forward and took the girl's hand. As predicted she swooned and, mercifully, shut up. "Debbie," he said with a purr. "I need to deliver flowers to their graves for my aunt. Could you tell me where it's at? Then maybe I could call you later?" he tacked on, trying to sound like a hopeful suitor. Debbie flushed with pleasure.

Hook, line, and sinker. Jareth started the station wagon with a grim look, his flirtatious smile gone as soon as the girl was out of sight as he gripped the paper with the scrawled address tightly. Poor Debbie, she wouldn't be getting that call unless Aaron decided to man up once he got his body back. Speaking of…Jareth looked at the clock on the dashboard. It read seven thirty. He had nineteen hours and twenty-six minutes left before his arrangement with the boy was complete. He would have to make the minutes count.

He took to counting the seconds as he drove to stave off the overwhelming grief that threatened to crash down upon him like a tidal wave. She had said that Sarah was dead.

_Dead._

For once he was thankful that he was in human form, because if he were in his natural body the grief would consume him, leaving him useless. At least in this body he had room for suspicion and anger to accompany the guilt and sadness.

Jareth took a deep breath as he approached the cemetery, swallowing the lump that began to form in his throat. Finding the burial plot with relative ease, he threw the car in park and slowly dragged himself from the car.

It was easy to spot the graves of the Williams family. They were all freshly dug and teeming with bouquets. He overlooked the parents and found little Toby's grave and felt profound regret. He was such a lively little chap and Jareth had hoped to see the boy again once his sister had assumed her place at his side. None of that was meant to be, it seemed.

With shaky steps he approached the final sleek black tombstone, Sarah's youthful face carved with a smile along with her name, birth and death dates. "_Loving sister and daughter, gone to rest somewhere over the rainbow."_

In an instant Jareth could imagine her in her favorite park, twirling in a sundress with her hair unbound and laughing freely. She would never again look so carefree. Instead she was six feet under the ground, rotting away like overripe fruit. He could not hold back the tears from his tender human heart as he thought of the last time he saw her. Half-dead and exhausted, yelling at him like the little spitfire she was.

Overcome with grief he sank to his knees among the flowers on her grave, sobbing openly. "I'm so sorry, Sarah. Forgive me," he begged, "I didn't mean for this to happen. Never this."

After exactly twelve minutes of wallowing in self-pity, Jareth dragged himself back to Aaron's car, extracting himself from the boy's body and summoning the crystal that housed Aaron's soul. He had barely returned the boy to his body when he all but fled to his castle. Back in the safety and solitude of his personal bed chambers, Jareth finally allowed himself to fall apart. She was gone. He loved her, and she was gone.

The kingdom could wait forever for all he cared. None of it mattered any more. Not without her.

* * *

"Elphie!" Sarah cried, "Look out!"

Gideon grabbed hold of Sarah's shoulders to prevent her from rushing to the green witch like she wanted to. "Sarah, she can handle herself just fine, I promise. You, on the other hand, cannot, because unless I miss my guess, your power is not near what hers is," he said softly into her ear. "Besides," he added, "I gave my word to see you safely through the marshlands, and sticking your nose into danger does not fit in with that plan."

Sarah struggled harder against his grip. "But Gideon, she needs help! She's outnumbered."

Gideon hushed her. "Watch."

Elphaba was indeed outnumbered as she was being circled by snarling and whooping beasts. Sarah couldn't see well through the fog, but they almost looked like monkeys, but with wings. Sarah could see the witch sizing up her opponents and making mental calculations.

"They've come from a portal not far from here, but she seems to have upset them. How, is anyone's guess, but my bet is on her sunny disposition," Gideon teased. "Now she is either going to find a way out of it, or we are going to leave her."

Sarah gasped and whirled on him with wide eyes. Gideon said nothing, his white hair falling nearly in his eyes as he stared her down seriously, the shadown under his skin moving restlessly. "Like I said, the deal is for you, not her." He saw her about to protest and held a clawed finger to her lips. "Don't argue with me. Besides, I don't think it will be necessary. Look," he suggested, turning her back to the action.

Elphaba had singled out the leader and was fighting it head on. Blows had been exchanged on both sides. Elphaba's lip dribbled blood and she was clearly favoring one arm while the monkey's tail was obviously broken, bent sickeningly backwards. Sarah watched as the rest of the monkeys seemed to feel the danger and worked themselves into a frenzy, shrieking and beating the ground with their fists. The fight continued as the leader took a swing at the green witch who ducked and countered with a vicious knee to the torso. Undeterred, the monkey beat his powerful wings to land a kick to the witch's face, knocking her to the ground where she stilled.

Sarah screamed, launching herself against Gideon's restraining arms. "Elphaba! Get up, please!" she cried.

As the monkey moved closer to deliver the killing blow, the witch suddenly hurled a fireball at the monkey's face, earning a scream of anguish as its skin began to melt.

The monkey bent over in pain, and Elphaba sprang to her feet and took advantage of its weakness, raining blows on its skull mercilessly before, in a great show of athleticism, she heaved her leg in the air to bring her heel down on the back of the monkey's head with a sickening crunch. The monkey dropped cold, blood pooling around his head as he died.

Sarah gasped in horror. She had just witnessed her second killing at that woman's hands in one day. Turning away from the gory scene, she bent over and retched what little was in her stomach. So much killing, what _was_ this place? She just wanted to get to Toby and find a way home.

Cold hands gathered her hair and rubbed her back soothingly as she spit into the weeds, the awful aftertaste of vomit still sour in her mouth.

"Hey, it's over. You're alright," Gideon said gently. "Your witch is mostly unharmed and seems to have gained an entourage," he said. Sarah turned to speak but stopped when she saw the approach of their victorious companion, her lip and heel of her shoe both still covered in blood.

"Who'd have thought," Elphie's squeaky voice interrupted, "that it would be so easy? They're like wolves, kill their leader, you become the next one." She chuckled, "I've always wanted my own minions. The guards at my fortress fear me, but these little beasts will _love_ me," she boasted.

"Yes, yes, now let's go," Gideon snapped, suddenly in a sour mood.

"What Gideon?" Elphaba taunted. "Upset that I found them first? Soon I may even pass you in power, and then what?" she cackled.

Gideon sneered at her. "As if you could even approach the power of a dragon, Halfling." Black smoke began trickling out of his nose as he started to breather heavier. "You think your fireballs are powerful? That is a party trick compared to what I've got, so unless you'd like to challenge me right now, I'd suggest you watch your back, witch."

Sarah watched in horror as Gideon's usually pretty eyes bled yellow as the smoke got thicker. If he really was a dragon, she sure didn't want to stick around when he got angry, that was for sure. As Elphaba and Gideon stared each other down intently, Sarah slowly edged away into the darkening mists as night quickly began to fall.

Sure, she was leaving behind her protectors, but it was not like she had never been in a strange place with dangers untold and hardships unnumbered before. All she had to do was follow her feet.

How bad could it be?

* * *

**Aaaand there you have it. Sarah being stupid and Jareth being sad. What ever shall they do? **

**Please review! Tell me what you like, what you don't like or what's confusing...I'm anxious to hear what people think of Gideon :)**

**Thanks for reading!**

**~Chaotic-Masterpiece**


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